Freeman Dyson Profile

Freeman Dyson is an internationally renowned theoretical physicist, mathematician and author, esteemed for his work in quantum field theory, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering. Beyond his theoretical work at the outer edges of human knowledge, he has been deeply involved in the most contentious public issues involving science and technology, from nuclear disarmament, to space travel and climate change.

Born in Crowthorne, England, he was fascinated by mathematics, astronomy and writing from his early childhood. He published his first important mathematical papers while still an undergraduate at Cambridge. After serving with the research section of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during World War II, he moved to the U.S. to pursue research in theoretical physics. Since 1953, he has carried out his work at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

In addition to his scholarly works, he has published a number of highly entertaining books for the general reader. Weapons and Hope, his 1984 bestseller on "nuclear arms and the human predicament," received the 1985 National Book Critics Circle Award. More recent books include: Origins of Life; The Sun, the Genome and the Internet; The Scientist as Rebel; and A Many Colored Glass: Reflections on the Place of Life in the Universe.